Hannibal: Monster Magnet
by SashaMorwood
Summary: Hannibal/OC. Eden Lake was a 'monster magnet' or at least, she thought she was. Captured by the Baltimore Butcher only a few months ago, she finds another monster in the eyes of Doctor Hannibal Lecter, her therapist. But this one's a whole other species.
1. The Baltimore Butcher

The soft chime of a doorbell sounded at a small house on the outskirts of Baltimore.  
When Mrs Lake went to answer it she found a sharply dressed man in a navy blue suit smiling softly at her.  
"Mrs Lake? My name is Hannibal Lecter; I believe I have a meeting with your daughter Eden?"  
The woman before Dr. Lecter offered a polite hand and guided him towards the living room.  
As she walked, Mrs Agatha Lake spoke in a hushed voice, "I'm so glad you're here Doctor Lecter. Eden hasn't spoken a word since she was released from the hospital. We've tried everything but she just won' talk. I'm afraid you're our last hope."  
Lecter listened intently to the mother's plight and gave her a winning smile.  
"I assure you Mrs Lake, I will do everything in my power to help your daughter."  
A grateful smile befell Agatha as he continued, "Now, you mentioned on the phone that Eden had experienced a recent trauma, of what kind exactly?"  
The frail woman held Hannibal's gaze for a moment or two before looking away.  
"Have you heard of the Baltimore Butcher, Doctor Lecter?"  
He nodded, "Jackson Emerson. Killed ten women over a three week period and then disappeared for over a year. The police found him in an abandoned house in Rosedale. He was a detective on his own case, am I right?"  
Agatha's face held a grim expression as she led him through the hallway and stood stiffly by the living room door, "Do you know the reason why he disappeared for so long?"  
Hannibal shook his head as Mrs Lake gestured to the young girl sitting in the far corner of the room with her arms folded across her knees, staring blankly at the muted television screen.  
"The reason," she answered, "is because Jackson Emerson found my daughter the very night he killed the last girl who lived just across the street."  
Her eyes glazed over as she looked out of the living room window to the house directly across from her own. The yellow police tape had long since been removed but wooden boards still occupied the windows and a lock was still hanging on the door with chains entangling the door frame.  
Lecter nodded, he had enough information to go on for now, "Thank you Mrs Lake. You've been most helpful."  
Agatha smiled and then hurried off to the kitchen as Hannibal entered the living room and sat down on the edge of the long wooden coffee table facing the girl.  
"Hello Eden. My name is Doctor Hannibal Lecter and I was hoping I could talk to you today."  
The young girl glanced briefly at the man before her, her blue eyes examining him carefully. She saw nothing of immediate interest and so returned quietly to watching the television screen.

He chuckled slightly before resuming his professional demeanour, "Your mother tells me you haven't been talking...now, is that because you don't feel like talking? Or is it perhaps because you are afraid to?"  
A blatant question that earned him an annoyed glance but no words came from those lips.  
Eden tucked a small strand of brown hair behind her ear and continued gazing at the screen.  
Dr. Lecter sighed, "Eden, how am I supposed to help you in any way if you do not talk to me?"  
He tilted his head so she was forced to look directly at him.  
It was Eden's turn to sigh as she looked into his eyes and saw...well, she wasn't sure exactly what she saw, all she knew was that it felt familiar.  
"You can't help me."  
A surprising melodic voice pierced the muted silence as Hannibal raised his eyebrows.  
"What makes you think that?"  
Eden was about to speak again but was cut off by the front door slamming and a voice shouting angrily. "Why is there a car parked outside my house, woman?"  
Without warning, Eden hurriedly switched off the television and returned to stony silence, not even daring to look at Doctor Lecter.

A man in his late forties came marching into the living room.  
His eyes narrowed when he saw the stranger, "Who the hell are you?"  
Hannibal stood up, "Ah, Mr Lake, I am your daughter's new therapist."  
Joseph Lake laughed, "Therapist? What's the little brat been telling you, huh?"  
Eden shifted uncomfortably in her seat as her father's gaze turned to her.  
Hannibal shook his head, "You know I can't discuss our sessions, Mr Lake. Now," he glanced at his watch, "I have another appointment I need to be attending to, if you'll excuse me."  
Eden stood up suddenly, "I'll walk you out Doctor Lecter."  
Joseph eyed her suspiciously before becoming bored and heading towards the kitchen for a beer.  
Together Hannibal and Eden exited the house and walked towards Doctor Lecter's car.  
"I apologise for having to leave before our session is up but I have an important meeting with William."  
Eden raised an eyebrow, "Will Graham?"  
Hannibal nodded, "You know him?"  
She didn't reply but instead rummaged in her trouser pocket and pulled out a folded up rectangular envelope.  
"Could you give this to him?" she asked and handed him the envelope.  
He smiled at her, "Of course."  
Eden returned a shy smile as he got into the car and Mr Lake stumbled out onto the front porch, "Get your ass back in the house right now!"  
Eden looked nervously at Hannibal before waving a small goodbye and running back towards the house.  
Hannibal smiled as he reversed out onto the road, "This one's going to be interesting."


	2. Missing Suspect

"So, the Minnesota Shrike is dead then?"  
"Yes." agreed William as Jack sat at his desk, scrutinising every inch of his report. "I killed him...not very cleanly I'll grant you but it's over. There will be no more bodies."  
Jack absorbed this information as Doctor Hannibal Lecter knocked softly on the glass door of his office.  
Lecter quickly walked into the room before removing a creased envelope from his blazer pocket and placing it carefully onto the table in front of Will.  
"This was given to me by a young girl by the name of Eden Lake. It is addressed to you."  
Will Graham frowned quizzically at Hannibal before picking up the envelope, "Eden?"  
Hannibal nodded as Jack glanced back and forth between them.  
"Who is this girl? A friend of yours?" asked Jack.  
Will shook his head, "She was victim in one of my cases about six months ago-"  
"The Baltimore Butcher." cut in Lecter.  
William nodded as he slowly opened the envelope and began to read aloud,

"My dearest William,  
As you know, it is not in my character to write letters such as this but I am afraid I have no other choice.  
For many months now my father has become increasingly violent and I now fear for both my own and my mother's safety.  
His actions are becoming more and more erratic and I am worried that he may resort to something drastic.  
All I ask is that you stop by and check on us because if you are in fact reading this, it means that someone arrived at my house not that long ago and I entrusted this letter to them.  
By now my father will have jumped to his own conclusions about this visitor and I may already be running out of time.  
I implore you to help just this once.  
Sincerely yours, Eden Lake."

When he had finished reading, William was already grabbing his coat and Hannibal was holding the office door open, ready to leave.  
"I take it you're both going down there then?" inquired Jack.  
The two men simultaneously replied,  
"Of course."  
"Obviously."

Jack sighed and grabbed his coat, "Then I guess I'd better come with you then. I'll bring a couple of officers down as well, just in case."  
"Thanks Jack!" shouted Will as he began sprinting down the hallway to the car park with Hannibal in tow.

When they arrived William could tell there was something wrong; the front door was lying open and the entire atmosphere surrounding the house was just..._off._  
"Mr and Mrs Lake, this is the FBI, we're coming in!" shouted Jack with his gun raised at eye level.  
The entire house was a mess and Will suddenly had that gut-wrenching feeling that perhaps they were already too late.  
Broken glass was strewn along the carpeted hall, the television was scattered across the living room...

and Agatha Lake lay dead on the kitchen floor.

Her neck was twisted at a grotesque angle and her sun-flower dress was smeared in the blood that covered her battered face.  
Suddenly a scream pierced the air and all eyes looked to the second floor.  
"Upstairs." whispered William.  
Without hesitation all three of them climbed the stairs two at a time to find Joseph Lake attempting to break down his daughter's bedroom door with a hammer.  
Jack was the first to respond, "Joseph Lake, put the hammer down and place your hands on your head!"  
The man in front of them turned mid-swing, his eyes manic when he saw Doctor Lecter standing on the stairs.  
He shouted, "You! You helped the bitch! This is your fault!"  
Lake came rushing towards them but two gunshots rang out and stopped him before he could even get close.  
Jack slowly lowered his weapon and called to the officers downstairs, "We got another body up here!"  
Doctor Lecter edged slowly around the now dead Mr Lecter and knocked twice on Eden's bedroom door.  
"Eden? It's Doctor Lecter, it's okay. You can come out now."  
An uncomfortable silence passed before a hesitant voice came from behind the door, "Is William there?"  
Lecter turned to Will Graham who was carefully making his way towards the door, "Yes Eden, I'm here."  
"Is he dead?" asked the girl.  
"Yes." he replied bluntly. "He's dead."

A few seconds passed before the bedroom door slowly inched open to reveal a bloodied version of Will Graham's old acquaintance.  
She looked up at him through bloodshot eyes, "I was hoping you'd come."  
William smiled and gently guided her downstairs and outside to the ambulance van that had just arrived.  
He handed her over to be examined as Hannibal walked up behind him,  
"Congratulations Will, you've saved another one."  
Will looked at him but said nothing as Jack hung up his phone and came marching towards them.  
"That was the Forensics Department. They just found DNA in Garrett Jacob-Hobbs' cabin." he stated.  
"And?" Will prompted.  
"The DNA belongs to Joseph Lake."


	3. Helping Hobbs

It took Will approximately eleven seconds to process this new information.  
"Are you sure?" he asked for the umpteenth time.  
Jack Crawford rolled his eyes, "You want me to run percentages with you Will? Yes, I'm sure! Lake was involved with the Shrike murders somehow."  
Will Graham sighed and turned his gaze to Eden who was currently getting paper stitches placed along her left cheekbone.  
"Do you think she was involved?" inquired Lecter.  
William shook his head, "No way. As psychologically scarred as Eden Lake is, she would never stoop to her father's level."  
"Scarred? From her time with the Butcher?" asked Jack.  
Will shook his head but said nothing. Raising more questions than answers for the men before him.  
He sighed, "It's a long story."  
"An intriguing one I am sure." said Lecter as he followed William's gaze to the young girl.  
"She'll need to be questioned." stated Jack.  
"I'll do it, just give her a minute." replied Will.

William allowed Eden to rest for a while in the ambulance before walking over and sitting down next to her.  
"Hey." she smiled at him.  
"Forgive me for the generic question but how are you feeling?" he asked her.  
She laughed, "Well, I have a fractured rib but I suppose I'll live to fight another day. They still want to take me to the hospital though for some tests, just in case."  
William listened quietly before awkwardly clearing his throat, "Listen, Eden, we found some of your father's DNA at a crime scene from a case we're working on and we're gonna need you to answer a couple of questions if that's alright?"  
Eden swallowed, "Okay."  
"We can talk now or I can come by the hospital if you'd feel better doing it there." he told her.  
For a minute, Will wasn't sure that she had heard him but when he turned to see what she was staring at, he saw Agatha Lake being carried out of her own home in a body bag, with Joseph Lake's body on another gurney just a few metres behind.  
He turned to Eden, "I'm sorry you had to go through all of this."  
She smiled gratefully, "You don't choose your family Will."  
He nodded in understanding, "I'll see you at the hospital then."

When Will Graham arrived in room twenty-seven of the hospital, he walked in to find Eden reading silently and upon seeing him, she placed the book down on the bedside table and placed her hands neatly by her sides.  
"They want to keep me in overnight." she told him. "I think they're scared I'll have a mental breakdown or something."  
Will smiled, "They're just being cautious. You've been through quite an ordeal."  
Eden looked at him carefully, "I've been through several in the past few months William, to which are you referring to?"  
He frowned, "I was wondering when you'd bring this particular subject up again. Eden, you know why we had to arrest him."  
She blinked, "Oh I know, it's not _that_ that's annoying me."  
Will looked at her, "Then what is it?"  
"It's the fact that you still don't understand how I felt about him."  
He was about to argue before she cut him off, "You don't seem to grasp that it's possible for someone like me to fall in love with what you would deem a monster. You keep seeing me as a victim when I'm not."  
William sighed; Eden Lake was like the annoying, unstable little sister he never wanted. He felt protective over her and well, she was right when she said he didn't understand.  
"Let's not get into this now, shall we?" he said.  
Eden shrugged, "Fine, but one day we're going to have to talk about it."  
William took a calming breath.  
She looked at him "You said you wanted to ask me some questions?"  
He nodded, "Yes."  
He shifted uncomfortably in the chair beside the bed for a second or two before deciding to continue, "We believe your father may have been involved somehow with a man by the name of Garrett Jacob Hobbs."  
"The Minnesota Shrike." realised Eden.  
William nodded again, "We think your father may have been helping him in some way."  
Eden looked at William with terror in her eyes as a million things passed through her mind at once until suddenly, something clicked inside her head.  
"The man on the phone."


	4. Memory Lapse Lane

Will's ears perked up at her words, "What man?"  
Eden's eyes glazed over, lost in thought.  
"Dad was on the phone with him a couple of days ago. They were arguing about something..."  
"What were they arguing about?" he asked.

As if on cue, Hannibal Lecter walked into the room, a concerned expression planted on his face that quickly evaporated once he saw Will Graham sitting beside Eden.  
He turned to Will, "Jack's waiting outside."  
Will nodded, "Alright. Doctor Lecter I need to ask you something, outside."  
He stood up and turned to Eden, "I'll be right back."  
She smiled and watched Will Graham and Hannibal Lecter leave the room.  
Before closing the door, Hannibal turned to Eden, "It was nice to see you again Eden."  
She grinned, "Nice to see you too Doctor Lecter."

After approximately five minutes of deliberation, the two men appeared to have decided on a course of action and, along with Jack Crawford, entered the room once again.  
William was first to address the girl, "Eden, we were wondering if perhaps, in order o help you remember you father's conversation with Mr Hobbs, you would mind returning to your home and going through the events of the day?"  
Eden swallowed as she considered his question before coming to her conclusion, "Alright."  
Crawford looked at her; he hadn't been expecting such an immediate response, "This is your decision Eden, you do not have to go through with it if you are going to feel uncomfortable..."  
She shook her head, "You need to know what happened, right? It's important."  
They nodded.  
"Besides, there might be other girls still out there."  
Lecter admired her bravery and so, with the hospital's permission, they drove Eden back to her own house of horrors for a brisk walk down memory lane.

Eden cautiously ducked under the yellow police tape and stepped onto the porch of her old home.  
William followed her and, noticing her apprehensiveness said, "We'll be right here with you."  
Eden chuckled slightly, "Thanks Might Mouse." and she carefully opened the front door.  
Trying desperately to ignore the blood stains below her feet, Eden walked on her tiptoes towards the living room from which she had heard her father's phone call.  
She hopped gingerly over the now broken television set and sat down on her usual chair in the corner of the room. Closing her eyes, she tried to remember what had happened no more than one week ago.

Her father was sitting by the kitchen table when the telephone rang and as usual, her mother was ordered to answer it at once.  
As soon as she did so, a fast-paced murmur came from the other end of the line and Agatha quickly passed the phone to Joseph.  
"It's for you." she said, "Says his name is Hobbs?"  
Joseph looked up, eyes wild, and quickly snatched the phone from his wife.  
With a mouth full of turkey, he shouted angrily down the phone, "What the hell do you think you're doing calling-"  
A hushed, hurried voice interrupted him as Joseph's annoyed expression faltered slightly.  
"Are you sure?" her father asked.  
An irritated reply followed as her father stalked out into the hallway, with his face as red as beetroot, "Of course I still have them! Everything's ready. I'll see you next week."  
A short question followed.  
Joseph answered, "Seven in total."  
Another question came.  
He sighed, "Yes they all look like her now stop calling this number, dammit!"  
Joseph Lake hung up the phone and stomped back towards the kitchen where he resumed his meal like nothing had happened.


	5. Horror Within

Suddenly Eden was back in her chaotic reality with Will staring down at her anxiously.  
"I think there are still seven girls missing."  
The atmosphere in the room turned cold.  
_Seven more girls.  
_Unexpectedly William knelt down in front of Eden, "I want you to think very carefully about this. If your father had something important he wanted kept safe, where would he put it?"  
She looked at him, not quite out of her memories yet, "What?"  
"The girls have to be close by, now where would he go? Somewhere that he knew no one else would follow."

And then it hit her.  
It was like a bolt of lightning had erupted from the sky and hit her square in the chest.  
She jumped out of the chair so fast that all Lecter saw was a blur when she ran past.  
William chased after her, "Where are you going?"  
"The barn!" she screamed and ran as fast as her legs could carry her, out into the back garden and through the trees beyond the fence.  
The one place that no one was allowed to enter but Joseph.  
The one place that remained a mystery even when she was a girl, waking up from nightmares and watching through her bedroom window as her father left the house in the dead of night.  
Eden sprinted through the forest, her jeans snagging on the serpent-like branches that lay scattered around her.  
She winced as some of them cut deep enough to bleed but she did not stop running, for fear that the barn would somehow disappear before she got there.  
Eden could hear at least two sets of footprints chasing after her but she paid them little attention, instead she focused on the ominous building that drew ever closer as she ran.

All of a sudden, she found herself at the entrance to the barn and immediately grasped the beam that had been placed across the door and heaved it upwards.  
To Eden's surprised, it flew off with ease and went clattering to the ground below her.  
She shoved open the door to find nothing but horror inside.

Bloodied meat-hooks hung like prized ornaments above her head.  
A choking sound caught in her throat as she saw the scarlet stains on the floor. Her eyes followed the blood trail along the floor.  
_Drip. Drip. Drip._  
And that's when she saw it.

From several metres away, it looked just like any other workbench that any other father would have. Covered in old tools and sketches of the imagination.  
Only this bench contained slightly more sinister drawings...

One featured the image of a young girl in a crucifix position, hanging on a wall with her stomach cut open. Her organs lay scattered on the ground below her as a crow picked at the leftovers.

"Looks like you found it then."  
Eden jumped at the sudden noise and spun on her heels to find Doctor Lecter behind her, looking expectantly over her shoulder.  
"But we haven't found them yet." she countered, referring to the seven missing girls.  
He nodded, "Yes, but we found where he's been keeping them. That will be a great help, Eden."  
He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder before returning it by his side, "You have done well."  
"Thanks Obi-Wan." she replied sarcastically.  
Lecter could practically feel the anger radiating from her skin, oozing out of every pore. We could almost smell it.  
It was..._intoxicating_.

Breathless, William came rushing into the barn.  
He stared at the horror surrounding him.  
Eden could almost hear the cogs whirling around in that train-wreck brain of his.  
Jack arrived about five minutes later, along with a couple of police officers who immediately began to secure the 'crime scene'.  
As everyone else was busy securing the outside, Eden began searching the inside.  
She was still determined to find those missing girls. They had to be here somewhere.  
She wandered around for a minute or two before her shoe caught on something protruding out of the floor.  
She glanced down to find a rusted handle, sitting idly amongst loose strands of yellow hay.  
She leant down and pulled the handle with as much force as she could manage.  
It swung open to reveal rectangular blackness, she couldn't even see steps.  
"Jack!" she called, "You wouldn't happen to have a torch?"  
Jack looked at Eden, then to the floor, and then back to Eden, "You don't think I'm going to let you go down there, do you?"  
She frowned, "You'd better."  
He sighed and looked to Doctor Lecter, before handing him the torch. "We're all going down together then."

With Jack leading, one by one they descended into darkness. Each following the footsteps of those in front.  
The light from the torches bounced off of the walls but offered little insight as to what was actually down there with them.  
"There's got to be a light down here somewhere." said Jack.  
Collectively, they began fumbling for some form of switch or chord that would present a little luminosity.  
When they found the switch...they wished they hadn't.


	6. Bonnie And Clyde

When Eden's eyes met the light, it felt as though the sun had burnt them right out of her skull. Speckled dots of red, blue and white danced behind her eyelids as she adjusted to the new found brightness.  
The room was the size of an average basement but free of any home comforts. Four walls, a concrete floor and a ceiling were all that it contained...  
Well, that and the bodies.

_Seven of them._

Eden's eyes began to blur from the salty substance that formed at their corners, but she quickly rubbed her eyes and the liquid was gone.  
The images were still there though. Eden knew already that they would never leave.  
Bodies stacked on top of one another like mattresses.  
Bloodied. Beaten.  
Dead. Every last one of them.

Eden faintly heard Jack call to the police officers upstairs, "Get the coroner down here. We found them."  
Eden felt her knees go weak and strong arms grabbed her waist before she could fall.  
"Let's go back outside." came the familiar voice of Doctor Lecter.  
She nodded but said nothing. There was nothing she could say that would explain how she was feeling.  
So he carefully pulled her up the stairs to the barn and led her out into the fresh air as more and more officers covered the area inside.  
A sudden buzzing sound filled Eden's ears as those images replayed in her head yet again. She didn't even realise she had sat down on the forest floor in front of the barn and when she turned to her left, Hannibal was sitting beside her, watching her intently.  
"What?" she asked defensively, wiping a tear from her eye.  
He raised an eyebrow, "I'm curious as to your reaction."  
"I'm crying. Big deal." she growled.  
He shook his head, "But why at this scene?" He seemed utterly bewildered at her outpouring of emotion, "You did not shed a tear for those girls who were taken by the Butcher."  
She looked at him, anger filling her eyes again, "That was different."  
"Why?" he challenged, "Eden, this man was your fath-"  
"That's the point!" she screamed, standing up. "He was blood! As twisted and disgusting as he was, he was family! Jackson wasn't, he was-"  
"A means to an end?"  
She eyed him carefully, "Jackson was a mistake."  
It was Hannibal's turn to stand up, "But you told William that you were in love."  
"I thought-" She paused, "How did you know that?"  
He shrugged as Will Graham came up behind them, "Well, that's seven more missing person cases closed."  
Eden glared at him, then marched over and shoved him angrily, "What have you been telling him?"  
He looked at her, bewildered at her sudden aggressive behaviour. "Whoa, what are you talking about?"  
"It was my fault. I may have overstepped my bounds." said Lecter, raising his hand in the air.  
William looked at him and back at Eden. "At least you two are talking, that's good."  
Eden stared at him, "What's that supposed to mean?"  
"Well, seeing as he's still officially your therapist, you're going to be talking to him a lot as this case continues."  
"You're kidding, right?" she asked.  
"No, Eden, I'm not. I want to make sure you're going to be able to deal with all of this and Doctor Lecter is the best man for the job."  
Eden rolled her eyes, "Oh, I'll deal but what about you?"  
She took a step closer to him, seeing the dark circles around his eyes, "Trouble sleeping?"

Having seen enough, Hannibal decided to intervene, "Given the circumstances Eden, I will be seeing both you as an official patient, and William until further notice.  
She looked at him and seeing the resolve in his eyes, thought better than to argue further.  
She sighed, "Whatever. Just don't start swapping notes." She indicated to William, "This guy already thinks I've got Bonnie & Clyde Syndrome."  
Hannibal raised an eyebrow as she walked back to the police car that they had arrived in, and waited until Jack was finished with the crime scene.

He came out with a grim expression on his face and when he saw Eden's face, his expression turned to worry, "Where am I taking you now? The hospital again?"  
She shrugged, "I guess. I don't have anywhere else to go."  
Overhearing this, Lecter came up behind her, "There is an empty room in my office that I'd be happy to offer for the time being if you wish. I sometimes use it if I'm working late. It's basic but it will do the trick for a temporary stay, until you can figure out another solution."  
"Are you sure that's a wise idea?" she asked him rather unenthusiastically.  
He frowned at her, "I don't see why not; you'll be well looked after, and available if anyone has anymore questions."  
Jack nodded, "I agree. It's the best choice we have so far." He opened the car door for her, "We'll stop by your home and pick up some clothes for you. We'll meet you at your office, Doctor Lecter."  
Hannibal smiled and Eden reluctantly got into the car.  
Oh, this ought to be fun.


	7. Beauty and the Beast

After Eden had retrieved a duffel bag filled with clothe, Jack proceeded to take her to Doctor Lecter's office. The journey was quiet. Jack attempted to lighten the mood by putting on the radio but the sound of Abba coming from the speakers was enough to take their mood to a new low, and he switched it off again.  
"I think you'll like Hannibal's office." he mused aloud.  
She grunted but didn't reply, so he continued to talk alone. "It's rather extravagant; mahogany desks, sculptures, expensive paintings...He even has his own library on the floor above his room."  
Eden's ears perked up, "A library?"  
Jack glanced towards her, carefully not to take his eye off the road for too long, "Yes. He has quite a collection."  
Another pause, "You like to read?"  
She nodded and allowed the conversation to drift to favourite books, authors and genres until they arrived at Lecter's office.  
Jack Crawford, it turns out, was an avid reader as well. But he didn't have a particular favourite.

Jack knocked on the door of Hannibal's office and it swung open to reveal a room that Eden had only seen in home design magazines. She mumbled a reply to Hannibal's "Hello." and began marvelling at the decor.  
Extravagant was not the word. It was more like royalty to her.  
"Do you like it?" asked Hannibal, gesturing to it all.  
She almost laughed, "Like it? This is amazing."  
He smiled at her response, "Come, I'll show you your room."  
He led her to the door at the back of the room.  
When he opened the door, he let Eden step inside and look around.  
"I'll let you get accustomed. Jack and I have things to discuss." he told her.  
She smiled and thanked him as he gently closed the door behind him.  
A small extension of Lecter's office had been refurbished to resemble a bedroom and, as simplistic as it was, Eden was rather fond of it.  
A desk sat in the corner of the room with an antique oil lamp perched on top of it. The bed was placed at the other corner and had a lovely white and teal duvet with matching pillows. Beautiful paintings were hung on the pale blue walls and another door led onto a small bathroom that was even equipped with its own shower.  
Eden sat her beg down on the bed and smiled. Maybe her stay wasn't going to be so bad after all.

When Eden returned to the main office, Jack and Hannibal were deep in conversation and so as not to disturb them, Eden continued to look around the office.  
The sudden memory of Jack mentioning a library flashed through her mind and so she immediately to look for it.  
She slowly raised her eyes to the ceiling and saw a circular level above her, simply lined with bookshelf after bookshelf.  
Eden could feel a small grin spread across her face as she looked in awe at the wonderful collection.  
She wasn't even aware of the fact that both Jack and Hannibal had finished their conversation and we're now staring at her.  
Jack laughed, "I think she'll be fine."  
He waved a goodbye, placing a card with his contact details down on the desk and left.  
"I'm going to ask you something Eden and I think I already know the answer; would you like to see the library?" asked Hannibal.  
She smiled, "Yes please."  
He nodded and indicated to the steel staircase to his left, "After you."

Eden claimed the staircase and halted at the top, she hadn't seen the full extent of the library. There were at least ten bookcases surrounding her and she couldn't help but chuckle, "Doctor Lecter, I think you may be my new favourite person."  
Hannibal laughed, "I'll take that as a compliment to my personality and not my book collection Miss Lake."  
Eden walked around in a daze, occasionally lifting a book from its shelf, running her hand along the spine and replacing it before moving on to another.  
Lecter watched her as she did so, placing a comment here and there on the book she had chosen.  
They stood there for at least twenty minutes before a knock came at the door.  
Lecter excused himself and descended the stairs to answer it.  
Eden peered over the railings to see who was at the door.  
"Ah, William, come in." beamed Lecter.  
"Hey Will." came a voice from above his head. Will looked up to see Eden flipping through Romeo and Juliet and returned her welcome, "You seem in a good mood."  
She smiled, "William, I am currently surrounded by a fabulous collection of books and will be staying within ten feet of them until further notice. Of course I'm in a good mood."  
He looked at her, "Glad you're enjoying yourself."  
He then turned to Hannibal, "Perhaps we should schedule our meeting for another time?"  
Before Lecter could reply, Eden cut in, "It's alright Will, I was planning on going to bed now anyway." She climbed down to the office, book in hand, "You won't even know I'm here."  
Hannibal smiled, "That is most kind of you Eden."  
She grinned happily and said goodnight.  
Will watched her close the door before looking at Hannibal, "With the amount of books you have in here Doctor Lecter...Eden won't be going anywhere for a while."


	8. The Emerson Escape

It was five thirty in the morning when both Jack Crawford and Hannibal Lecter came rushing into the office, jolting Eden awake with the sound of the door slamming behind them. Disregarding the fact that Eden was lying in Lecter's spare bed with nothing but a large tshirt and girl's boxers on, Crawford came charging into the room. "Where is he?" he demanded.  
Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Eden looked at him quizzically, "You'll have to be more specific."  
Crawford glared at her, "This is no time for games Miss Lake. Where is Jackson Emerson?"

Eden bolted upright in the bed, "What the hell are you talking about? What happened?"  
Jack eyed her suspiciously, "He escaped from prison this morning, killed three of the guards."  
Eden's eyes widened, "And you think I'm hiding him somewhere, huh?"  
Crawford nodded, "Well you do have a past with him do you not?"  
She stared at him and said without blinking, "I wouldn't help him if my life depended on it."  
Crawford looked to Hannibal, he nodded, "She's telling the truth Jack, she harbours no love for Emerson that I have seen."  
Taking his word for it, Crawford took a deep, cleansing breath to calm himself down, "Alright then, but you must at least have some idea of where he is."  
Eden thought for a moment before looking at both of them, "I might."  
"But?" asked Jack, for he could sense that there had to be some sort of catch.  
"But, you have to promise to take me with you."  
"No. Out of the question, Eden. I'm not putting you in that kind of danger."  
Eden shrugged and said simply, "Then you're not going to find him."

After much, rather loud deliberation, Lecter, Crawford and William, who had arrived not long after, decided to take Eden along with them but only if she swore to lead them straight to Emerson.  
She agreed and was led to the police car that was waiting outside Lecter's office, after she had gotten dressed of course.  
As she was doing so, Eden wondered what outfit would be appropriate when apprehending a criminal, and a well-known criminal at that.  
In the end, she settled for ripped denim jeans and a plain old grey t-shirt.

In the car, Crawford was driving and Will, in an act of rare childishness, called shotgun and sat beside him, leaving Hannibal and Eden sitting quietly (and rather awkwardly) in the back seats.  
It took them almost an hour before Eden halted her directions and said, "We have to walk from here."

Upon getting out of the car, Hannibal Lecter got an eerie feeling of familiarity with his surroundings. He had seen this place before.  
"This is the house where they found you several months ago, Eden."  
She nodded but said nothing as leaves and broken branches crunched with an uncomfortable loudness that echoed throughout the surrounding woodland.  
"The police already searched here," spoke Crawford, "they didn't find anything."  
"That's because they didn't know where to look." she countered.

Upon reaching the house, Jack took a step onto the porch before Eden looked at him, "He's not in there."  
Before they could ask her anything, she motioned to a small shed several yards away from the house. It was barely visible beneath the overgrowth of ivy and surrounding trees. It was hardly large enough for even one person to fit inside, but they followed anyway.  
By now, several more police officers were following them a few metres behind them, upon Crawford's instructions.  
When they reached the door, Jack slowly removed the gun from his belt and told everyone else to take a few steps back. Eden whispered and pointed down to the floor, "Underground."  
Crawford nodded, understanding that Jackson must have built an underground system large enough to hide in, underneath the shed. It was no wonder the police couldn't find him.  
He knocked on the door ever so politely before shouting, "Jackson Emerson this is the FBI, we're coming in!"  
Without hesitation, he kicked the door down and found Jackson Emerson standing in front of them, half naked with nothing but denim jeans on and a pencil tucked behind his ear. As soon as he saw Eden, he grinned, "Fancy seeing you here."  
"Put your hands on your head and get down on your knees!" shouted Jack.  
Emerson frowned, "Shouldn't we wait until we're alone first?"  
Ignoring the crude comment, Crawford repeated himself.  
Jackson waved a hand, "Alright, alright."  
He did as he was told as Crawford pinned him to the floor, handcuffed him and carried him outside.  
The entire time, he never took that grin from his face, and kept his eyes trained on Eden.  
Hannibal watched how uncomfortable Eden got at his stare, twisted the sleeves of her t-shirt around her fingers, not making eye contact.  
Lecter came up behind her, "Are you alright?"  
Eden shook her head, "That was too easy."  
Lecter agreed, "Perhaps, but he got what he wanted at least."  
She looked at him, "What was that?"  
Hannibal gazed at her, "To see you."


	9. Butcher Blush

Eden paced back and forth in front of the interrogation room.  
Both Jackson Emerson and Jack Crawford had been inside for over an hour and Eden's nerves were beginning to get the best of her.  
Hannibal on the other hand, sat quietly on the chair by the door and watched Eden intently as she walked along the corridor for the fiftieth time.  
"Pacing will not make the results come any faster Eden." he told her.  
She sighed, "Why are they taking so long?"  
Hannibal laughed, "The man just escaped from prison and was caught within a day. He's either a fool or has other plans that needed him to be caught in the first place. Determining which he is can take a while."

Eden sighed, "Jackson is no fool and if I know him as well as I think I do, he's not saying a word in there."  
Lecter shrugged off the jealous feeling in his spine and nodded, "You're probably right but that won't deter Jack from getting answers."  
For a minute, Eden actually looked worried and that in turn, worried Hannibal.  
Maybe she wasn't entirely over him just yet.  
He softly smiled to himself, _that would change.  
_  
Suddenly, the interrogation room door opened to reveal Jack Crawford looking rather flustered. "He's not talking."  
Eden grinned, but was unsure as to whether she was proud of her correct assumption, or that Jackson had lived up to expectations. He hadn't changed at all.  
"What now?" she asked him.  
Crawford looked slightly uncomfortable at her question, "Well, we did manage to get something out of him at least. The only problem is that I don't exactly want to give him what he wants."  
"And what's that?" asked Eden nervously.  
"He wants to see you." he answered.

Eden looked to Hannibal and then back to Crawford, "Why don't you want me to talk to him?"  
"For the precise reason that it would be giving him what he wants. He could see you and decide not to tell the police anything, so that he could simply _keep _seeing you." cut in Lecter.  
"But we won't know until I go in there and talk to him." she countered.  
"Eden's right." said Jack.  
Hannibal looked a little annoyed at Jack but hid it beneath a tight smile, "Well, let it be known that I don't think it's a good idea."  
"Duly noted Doctor Lecter." replied Jack as he opened the interrogation room door and gestured for Eden to step inside.  
Eden took a deep breath and followed him in.

Jackson was sitting on a chair at the far end of the room, his handcuffed hands resting comfortably on the table in front of him.  
His eyes lit up when Eden entered the room, "Ah, it would appear Jack Crawford can listen after all."  
Crawford glared at him, "You have ten minutes."  
Jackson frowned and waved goodbye to an extremely pissed off Crawford as he left the room.  
Eden stood awkwardly by the door as Jackson studied her.  
"You're allowed to sit down, you know." he told her.  
Jackson titled his head when she didn't move, "You're not afraid of me Eden, are you?"  
He seemed disappointed when she didn't answer.  
After a second or two, Eden managed to gingerly take the seat in front of him.  
"Why did you want to see me?" she asked, her voice barely coming above a whisper.  
He watched her for a minute or two, before gracing her with a simple answer, "I missed you."  
Eden laughed, "No you didn't. You don't _feel_ anything."  
He raised an eyebrow at her, "Did your shrink tell you that?"  
She glared at him and he smiled.  
Jackson held his forefinger up, "By the way, who's the boyfriend?"  
Eden frowned at him, "What?"  
He rolled his eyes, "The guy in the suit. The one that's been clinging to you like glue since they had me arrested."  
Eden's eyebrows furrowed, "You mean Hannibal? H-He's not my boyfriend."  
Jackson looked surprised, "Could have fooled me."

Eden could feel her cheeks become reed so she decided to quickly change the subject, "You know they only let you talk to me because they think you'll tell me how you escaped...and why they managed to catch you within 24 hours."  
Jackson grinned, stretching back in his chair, "Oh, I'm well aware of that."  
She looked at him, "So, are you going to tell me then?"  
He shrugged, "Maybe."  
Eden stood up and pushed her chair back, "I don't have time for games Jackson."  
He laughed, "You used to have time for them. Enjoyed them, if memory serves."  
Eden blushed before heading towards the door.  
"Where are you going?" he asked.  
"I'm leaving." she told him.  
"Don't you want to know why you found me so easily?"  
Eden turned, "Why?"  
He smiled, happy he could still intrigue her so easily.  
"You're just like me."  
"I'm nothing like you." she spat.  
"Oh no? Then explain to me how you knew exactly where I would be once I got out."  
"I just know you." answered Eden.  
Jackson shook his head, "You knew where to find me because you can think like me. There's a difference."  
He leaned across the table and smiled at her, "You're as much of a monster as I am. You're just a little better at hiding it."  
Eden growled at stormed outside as Jackson shouted after her, "Does Sarah Marsh mean anything to you?!"

Jack Crawford marched into the hall to find Eden frozen in the spot, unable to move at Jackson's words.  
Jack placed a hand on her shoulder, "Eden! Eden, look at me."  
Eden didn't pull her gaze from the floor.  
Hannibal carefully stepped towards her, a place a hand under her chin and slowly pulled her face towards his, "Eden, it's okay. Nothing can harm you here, just relax."  
After a minute or two, Eden began to come around again. Her breathing had slowed and her fists unclenched by her sides.  
She sat down on the chair outside the interrogation room as Crawford handed her a glass of water. She thanked him and took a shaky sip of the cool liquid.  
Crawford stared at her like she'd just grown three heads.  
"Do you mind telling me what that was all about?"he asked her.  
"He's right. H-He's right, isn't he?" she muttered.  
She hadn't heard a word Crawford said, instead she focused on Hannibal.  
"He's right." she repeated.  
Hannibal gazed at her, a curious expression on his face.  
He turned to Jack, "Perhaps I should take Eden home. She needs some rest."  
Jack reluctantly nodded and let Hannibal take Eden out of the police station and into his car.  
As they drove back to Lecter's office, Eden kept her eyes on the road, not daring to look at anything else.  
When they got into the office, she quietly sat on the couch in the middle of the room and Hannibal sat on the one opposite. Neither wanting to break the peaceful silence.  
She looked at him nervously and he smiled.  
"Get some rest." he told her.  
When he stood up to leave, Eden caught his wrist and he stopped.  
She waited for a minute, contemplating whether or not to speak, until she did.  
"Jackson was right Doctor Lecter. I'm a monster."  
Before Hannibal could argue, she stood up and looked him straight in the eye.  
Her face filled with both pain and wonder.  
"And a monster knows its own kind."


	10. Animal In Training

Lecter looked at Eden carefully and then shook off her comment with a smile, "It does indeed. But it also knows its prey."  
Eden raised an eyebrow, "Do you consider me prey, Doctor?"  
He laughed, "Not at all. More like an animal in training."  
She frowned, "You're taking this awfully well."  
Another smile, "I've been aware for quite some time that you knew my true self. In fact, it was the day we first met when I realised."  
He walked slowly to the seat by his desk and continued, "As soon as I walked in that door, you saw me for what I was."  
"Why didn't you kill me then? If you were so sure that I knew what you were?" she asked.  
He shrugged, "Would you have killed me?"  
Eden thought for a minute before answering, "I suppose not. It would have been too close to home. Arouse suspicion."  
She told him this of course, knowing full well that that wasn't the reason why she would not kill Hannibal Lecter.  
She was almost sure _he_ knew that as well.  
Hannibal had easily seen through Eden before and Jackson's blunt questions in the interrogation room would have given him the very obvious reason for why she would not kill him.

He watched as she stood there, running through the day's events in her head until she thought of another question. "So what happens now?"  
Lecter smiled, "That depends."  
Eden swallowed, "On?"  
Hannibal rose from his chair and stood in front of her, "On the identity of Sarah Marsh."

Eden growled, "Sarah Marsh is not important."  
Hannibal grinned at her reaction, "I highly doubt that Eden. Not if Jackson felt the need to make you remember her name."  
She sighed and sat down again, "Why does it matter? It was a long time ago."  
Hannibal waved an arm in the air, "I'm curious."  
"How do I know you won't tell Jack?" she questioned him. Still considering his worthiness of her trust.  
He simply looked at her, "I would think that after our recent revelations, you would see fit to confide in me more delicate matters."  
Eden had to admit that he was right. She'd been keeping the other side of her personality a secret for years, surely now that she had found such a similar animal, she could divulge the past activities of that side of her?

She debated it for another minute before taking a deep, relaxing breath, "Sarah Marsh was my first kill."

*I know this one's really short compared to the others but I wanted to leave it one a cliffhanger :')  
I'll add the next chapter soon!*


	11. Revelations

Hannibal's grin widened as he inched forward in his seat, "Go on."  
Eden continued describing the events that led to Sarah Marsh's death for a further half hour and when she had finished, they sat together silently for at least a few minutes more.  
"And how many have there been since Miss Marsh?" asked Lecter.  
A small smile played on Eden's lips, enjoying the spike of curiosity in his voice she replied, "A few."  
Hannibal nodded, seemingly proud of young Eden's exploits thus far.  
"All in the same way?" he inquired, referring to the method used to kill Sarah Marsh.  
Eden raised an eyebrow quizzically, "Where would be the fun in that?"  
He laughed as she continued, "But I haven't been down that road in quite some time. When Jackson was arrested the fun of the hunt went with him, I mean, what's the point if you don't have a collaborator to make it interesting? So I decided to keep that part of me under lock and key until further notice."  
Hannibal listened quietly, "So your entire story so far has been a lie? Being kidnapped by the Butcher, held prisoner for a year, being so terrified of your family?"  
She nodded, "Pretty much, except for my dad. He really did do all I said he did, and he _did_ kill my mom but nothing about Jackson was true."  
"Does dear William know of your past indiscretions?"  
Eden shook her head, "Of course not. But I've never lied to him, Doctor Lecter. I just let him believe what he wanted to. He came to his own conclusions about me."

Hannibal had to admit, the girl was smart. Being able to elude even the amazing Will Graham for so long was a feat not many could have accomplished.  
"And how did you come to meet Mr Emerson?" asked Hannibal, simply full of questions for the girl that sat before him  
Eden smiled, "Oh, comic book store."  
Lecter raised an eyebrow and she laughed. "Not the best way to meet a guy I know, but it worked. I'd known him for at least a year before the whole 'kidnapping' ensued."

After another hour of discussion, Hannibal left in order to give Eden at least a few hours sleep before both Jack Crawford and William came by to question her. At any rate, she had to come up with a plausible story. One that would be easily believed by both an FBI agent and a Sherlock Holmes-like man that was sceptical about anyone that was put in front of him

Not long after, Eden Lake was awoken to the sound of knocking on the door.  
She walked into Lecter's office to find Jack Crawford and Will Graham pacing impatiently back and forth, as expected. Hannibal was at his desk filing papers, a hidden smirk behind his eyes.  
Jack wasted no time, "You mind telling me what the hell it was that I just witnessed? Emerson says he won't speak to anyone but _you_ and after yesterday I'm not sure _either_ of you are fit to be talking to _anyone_."  
Eden nodded, listening intently with slight enjoyment at how frustrated this was making him.  
"Alright, alright." she said as she stood by Lecter's desk, "Jackson abducted Sarah Marsh two months after abducting me. He-" Eden swallowed, choking on her words, "He told me I had to prove myself."  
"Prove yourself?" asked Will.  
She nodded, "Prove that I was worthy enough..."  
William shook his head in disbelief, "He forced you to kill her to prove that you could be trusted." It was more of a statement than an actual question and it earned a wide-eyed stare of astonishment from Crawford.  
The corners of Hannibal's lips twitched but he said nothing.  
The story worked.  
"What happens now?" asked Eden innocently.  
Crawford shrugged, "I doubt you'll be charged under those conditions. I am however worried about you talking to Jackson again."  
"I want to do it." she answered.  
"But yesterday-" he continued.  
"I can do this, Jack. You need answers right? I'm the best person to get them."  
Jack continued watching her, measuring up both the mental state of his best option and the importance of finding any more bodies that might be out there.  
Finally, he nodded, "Alright, fine. We'll bring you in tomorrow again."  
He raised a finger, "But keep him on topic. I don't want him dragging you back into wherever the hell it was he got you to last time."  
Eden smiled, "You won't regret it."  
She looked at Hannibal who gave a slight nod of approval and the meeting was over.

Hannibal Lecter, meet Eden Lake. Serial killer, book lover and Hybristophiliac. Enjoy.


	12. Presentation Is Key

"Eden! So glad to see you again!" grinned Jackson.  
Eden smiled tightly and sat down opposite him.  
The orange overalls made his skin shine in contrast and his storm grey eyes were as cold as the day she first saw them.  
"You wanted to talk?" she asked.  
"Yes," he nodded, "In _private."_  
"You know they can't do that Jackson."  
Jackson sighed, "Do they want answers or not? I'm not talking until I know they aren't listening. I only want to tell you."  
Eden glanced behind her at the one-way mirror and a few seconds later, Jack Crawford came into the room.  
His jaw locked, "You have fifteen minutes, nothing more and nothing less. We'll turn the microphones off but the cameras stay _on_, deal?"  
Jackson smiled, "We have a deal, my friend."

Jack Crawford looked as though he'd rather get hit by a car than allow Jackson fifteen minutes alone with Eden but it was the only way he was going to get answers so after a few grumbled obscenities, he left the room.  
"I think he likes me." joked Jackson .  
Eden rolled her eyes but said nothing.  
Jackson studied her for a moment, "I must admit, that was quite a cute little act you pulled yesterday. Even _I _was beginning to believe it."  
Eden smiled, "Thanks. So, what am I telling Crawford? Are there more bodies?"  
Jackson nodded, "Several. Marcus has been rounding them up for me on the outside. I got out to see him, to tell him when I wanted them to be discovered."  
"I take it they're not in the bunker then?" asked Eden, referring to the underground tunnel back at their old house.  
Jackson shook his head, "No, they're somewhere safe. But there's been a slight problem."  
"What's that?"  
Jackson sighed, "The girls are still alive."  
Eden blinked, "Why?"  
Jackson growled, "Because Marcus is an asshole and a coward. He managed to do one correctly but then he ran and your buddy Crawford had me locked up before I could finish the rest."  
Eden eyed him carefully, "Well, when _do_ you want them found?"  
Jackson's eyes almost sparkled, "Why? Are you willing to help?"  
She shrugged, "You want someone reliable, right? Someone you know is going to get the job done and make it look..._presentable."  
_Jackson grinned and sat back in his chair, "I missed you Eden."  
She smiled but kept quiet, waiting for him to continue. "Alright then, if you're going to help me, I'll tell Crawford where the first body is. I want them found at the start of every week until the bodies run out. After that, you can do as you please."  
Eden grinned; he was letting her loose.  
"And you want them killed the same way as the old ones?" asked Eden, referring to the murders that occurred before Jackson was sent to prison.  
He nodded, "_Exactly."  
_Eden smiled, "Deal. Now where are they?"  
For the next five minutes, Jackson gave the location of the girls and also, the location of the first body.  
As if on cue, Jack Crawford came bursting into the room. "Time's up. Do you have anything to say for yourself?"  
Jackson grinned wickedly, "I have revealed to Miss Lake the location of my victim. I hope you like it."  
"Eden, come with me now." he barked, "You too Hannibal."_  
_

I KNOW IT'S SHORT, I KNOW IT'S SHORT. Promise I'll add more


End file.
